Juniper Mountain Counseling

Thanks to a partnership with Juniper Mountain Counseling, Friends of the Children Central Oregon has been removing barriers to counseling services for youth and families which, in the long-term, will prove invaluable to promoting positive emotional, social, behavioral, and cognitive functioning for our youth.

The data is clear: more children, especially children of color and those living in poverty, are experiencing increased behavioral and mental health challenges than prior to 2020. In response, Friends of the Children Central Oregon recognized the need to improve access to mental health services both for youth and families, as well as staff members, and committed to deepening our impact by enhancing program supports in mental health.

We set forth the following goals for our youth and families: 1) improve access and reduce barriers to mental health; and 2) increased engagement in mental health services.

We knew we couldn’t accomplish the above without the support of a local behavioral health service provider and quickly found ourselves forming a trusting relationship with Juniper Mountain Counseling. In April, we entered a contact with Juniper Mountain Counseling to provide training to all our staff and immediate entry for counseling services for our youth, families, and staff members. Funding from Central Oregon Health Council covers any out-of-pocket costs for our individuals’ seeking services for all staff training. Immediate entry to see a specialist, at a time when waitlists to see a provider are lengthy, is critical to the success of our work in the mental health space. A success that would not be possible with the support of Juniper Mountain Counseling.

“It is evident to me, that Juniper Mountain Counseling and Friends of the Children have a shared dedication to dissolve any barriers to services that promote the overall wellness of children, families, and the caregiving workforce in our Central Oregon community. We are happy to lend our support to Friends of the Children in this very exciting and mutually beneficial endeavor.” - Jim Mockaitis, MS, MS, LPC, ACS

This past year, we have referred numerous youth and family members to Juniper Mountain Counseling. Many of our staff have taken advantage of their services and all program staff participate in a monthly training with certified therapists from Juniper Mountain Counseling.  This coming year, we look forward to deepening our work into group therapy sessions for our adolescent youth and caregivers.

On behalf of the entire Friends of Children Central Oregon team, thank you Juniper Mountain Counseling for your support and your belief in our work and the importance of overall wellness of youth and families in Central Oregon. We simply could not do what we do without amazing people like you!